Coroner: Skull turned over to University of La Verne still a mystery

LA VERNE - Coroner’s officials are still trying to determine if a skull turned over to the Universty of La Verne last week was a medical specimen or not.

Lt. Cheryl MacWillie of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said the skull has no jaw. The gender has not been determined, she added.

An elderly woman found it in her garage and gave the remains to an anthropology professor at the University of La Verne, according to Alisha Rosas, spokeswoman for the university. She said the professor shared it with a physical anthropologist who turned it over to La Verne Police on Sept. 10.

“We followed protocol,” Rosas said.

The police notified the Coroner’s Office which sent an investigator to collect the skull that night.

If people find anything or locate anything or want to turn in things for archaeological purposes, they can do so at ULV’s anthropology department, according to Rosas.

“It’s been an open door policy,” she said.

She said the woman wasn’t from La Verne but didn’t know the senior’s city of residence.